A man who Police said was depressed after he found out he didn't have enough insurance money to rebuild his Katrina-ravaged New Orleans home was arrested Tuesday after trying to get police to shoot him to death, New Orleans police said.

John McCusker, a photographer for The Times-Picayune, was taken into custody. Police said he will be charged, but were unsure what charges will be filed. He was being held under psychiatric observation.

"The individual is a really fine professional who was so depressed that he set out today to commit suicide by cop," said James Arey, commander of the police negotiation team during SWAT and other emergency situations.


"It was to the great credit of the police officers on this scene that they would not do what he wanted and kill him but instead apprehended him alive by Tasering him," Arey said.

Police said they noticed McCusker driving erratically near Napoleon Avenue and Baronne Street shortly before 7:30 p.m., but when they tried to pull him over, he drove away as they followed him. He struck several parked cars and was pulled over at the corner of Baronne and Upperline streets.

One police officer holding a gun knocked on the window of the driver's door and ordered him out of the car, police said. A second police officer was behind the car.

McCusker rolled the window down and said several times, "Just kill me, get it over with, kill me," Arey quoted him as saying.

When the officer did not shoot, McCusker put the car in reverse and pinned one of the officers between the rear bumper of his car and the officer's cruiser, police said. While pinned, the officer fired two shots at the tires of the car, but missed, and the man was able to get away again.

The officer suffered minor injuries

With police following him, McCusker made his way to St. Charles Avenue, going out of his way to knock down any signs advertising construction, Arey said.

Police spokeswoman Bambi Hall said McCusker's car came to a stop on the neutral ground of Jefferson Avenue just to the lake side of St. Charles. Police said they pulled him out of the car to handcuff him but he resisted. They had to Taser McCusker to subdue and handcuff him, police said.

All the while he was yelling expletives and begging them to kill him, police said.

Arey said this is one of many examples of the mental damage that Katrina has caused, and he sees it all the time now.